Combined inhibition of Aurora-A and ATR kinases results in regression of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma
- 11 February 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Nature Cancer
- Vol. 2 (3), 312-326
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-020-00171-8
Abstract
Amplification of MYCN is the driving oncogenic change in a subset of high-risk neuroblastomas. The MYCN protein and the Aurora-A kinase form a complex during the S phase that stabilizes MYCN. Here we show that MYCN activates Aurora-A on chromatin, which phosphorylates histone H3 at serine 10 in the S phase, promotes the deposition of histone H3.3 and suppresses R-loop formation. Inhibition of Aurora-A induces transcription–replication conflicts and activates ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase, which limits double-strand break accumulation upon Aurora-A inhibition. Combined inhibition of Aurora-A and ATR kinases induces rampant tumor-specific apoptosis and tumor regression in mouse models of neuroblastoma, leading to permanent eradication in a subset of mice. The therapeutic efficacy is due to both tumor cell-intrinsic and immune cell-mediated mechanisms. We propose that targeting the ability of Aurora-A to resolve transcription–replication conflicts is an effective therapy for MYCN-driven neuroblastoma.Keywords
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